A Fundraising Winner

Florida Classic: More than a game

No one wants tickets to sell out for today's Florida Classic more than the presidents of football rivals Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University.

It's not just a matter of bragging rights.

While the annual matchup at the Florida Citrus Bowl is the biggest football game in the nation between historically black colleges, the classic is also the biggest fundraiser of the year for the two universities, with ticket sales a big part of the equation.

The universities worry that attendance will drop off as it did last year because of the weak economy. That would add to the sting the two rivals and other colleges across the country are feeling year-round from an overall slowdown in donations, devalued endowments and cutbacks in government money.

The stakes are high. Much of the money FAMU and B-CU raise through the classic goes toward scholarships.

The classic brings $25 million to $30 million to the local economy, with the schools splitting game earnings between $2 million and $3 million after expenses in recent years. So if the game and related events such as Friday's Battle of the Bands at Amway Arena do well, the presidents -- BC-U's Trudie Kibbe Reed and FAMU's James Ammons -- can breathe easier about helping students pay for college.

"We're really hoping people will turn out to support us again this year, even in this economy," Reed said.

It helps that the game's half-time show, featuring musical duels by the rivals' renowned marching bands, is as big a draw if not bigger than the game itself.

Creative fundraising

To keep donations flowing this weekend and year-round, the schools are relying on the deep loyalty of alumni, many of whom still call Florida home. Alumni have been involved in staging stunts that lent some humor to the uncomfortable task of asking people for money in tough times.

To boost ticket sales for the big game, the university presidents led a friendly competition to see which school could sell the most tickets relative to their enrollment. With around a third of FAMU's enrollment of about 12,000, B-CU needed to get credit for selling 33 percent or more of the tickets sold as of Friday.

FAMU was ahead at 5 p.m. Friday. If that holds, Reed will have to wear her rival school's letterman jacket during today's game.

If you want to make an instant $5 donation to FAMU, you can send one via text message -- a relatively new way to make donations to colleges. The University of Florida takes donations the same way.

When B-CU decided to build an athletics training building to elevate its sports programs, alumni association leaders staged competitions to see which chapters could raise the most money. Casual gatherings were held at which alumni and friends of the university were given updates on developments on campus.

At one point during these gatherings, Reed would bound into the room, dressed in a football jersey and helmet.

With the school fight song playing and cheerleaders shaking pompoms, the president would introduce herself as the quarterback of a big game. She would then toss a football to people in the crowd, challenging them to make pledges on the spot. In would come promises of $50, $100 and more, Reed said. One chapter raised $50,000 at such a gathering, she added.

In another demonstration of her lead role in fundraising, Reed pledged to drop 25 pounds for a $20,000 donation to the university. Not only did enough pledges come in to put the president on a diet, the initial pledge was matched dollar-for-dollar for a potential $40,000 donation.

She wound up dropping 28 pounds, she said.

Fundraisers also sold naming rights to the athletics building and some rooms.

Alumni come through

The extra efforts paid off. The fundraising campaign for what will be called the Larry R. Handfield Athletic Training Center raised the $4.6 million needed to build the 16,000-square-foot building debt-free. Ground-breaking was held recently. The building will provide the school with a landmark and better facilities for athletes that will help with recruitment, Reed said.

Fundraising in these times "has been really hard," Reed said. "It's especially hard for us because our school is so small."

But even with the economy putting the squeeze on people's wallets, alumni and friends of the universities are still making donations, said Lee Bryan of Orlando, a B-CU alumna and longtime school supporter nicknamed "Miss B-CU."

"It's taking longer for pledges to come through, but people still want to help, even if they can't give as much," Bryan said. "All of it adds up. Our alumni are so loyal. We know they'll always come through."